Some differences between data and information:

Data is used as input for the computer system. Information is the output of data.
Data is unprocessed facts figures. Information is processed data.
Data doesnt depend on Information. Information depends on data.
Data is not specific. Information is specific.
Data is a single unit. A group of data which carries news are meaning is called Information.
Data doesnt carry a meaning. Information must carry a logical meaning.
Data is the raw material. Information is the product.

Advantages

Reduced data redundancy

Greater data integrity and independence from applications programs

Improved data access to users through use of host and query languages

Improved data security

Reduced data entry, storage, and retrieval costs

Facilitated development of new applications program

Reduced updating errors and increased consistency

Disadvantages

Database systems are complex, difficult, and time-consuming to design

Damage to database affects virtually all applications programs

Extensive conversion costs in moving form a file-based system to a database system

Initial training required for all programmers and users

Substantial hardware and software start-up costs

Components of the Database System Environment

There are five major components in the database system environment and their interrelationship are.

 Hardware
Software
Data
Users
Procedures

1.Hardware: The hardware is the actual computer system used for keeping and accessing the database. Conventional DBMS
hardware consists of secondary storage devices, usually hard disks, on which the database physically resides, together with the
associated Input-Output devices, device controllers and so forth. Databases run on a' range of machines, from Microcomputers to
large mainframes. Other hardware issues for a DBMS includes database machines, which is hardware designed specifically to
support a database system.
2. Software: The software is the actual DBMS. Between the physical database itself (i.e. the data as actually stored) and the users of
the system is a layer of software, usually called the Database Management System or DBMS. All requests from users for access to the
database are handled by the DBMS. One general function provided by the DBMS is thus the shielding of database users from
complex hardware-level detail.
The DBMS allows the users to communicate with the database. In a sense, it is the mediator between the database and the users. The
DBMS controls the access and helps to maintain the consistency of the data. Utilities are usually included as part of the DBMS. Some
of the most common utilities are report writers and application development.

3. Data : It is the most important component of DBMS environment from the end users point of view. As shown in observes that
data acts as a bridge between the machine components and the user components. The database contains the operational data and
the meta-data, the 'data about data'.
The database should contain all the data needed by the organization. One of the major features of databases is that the actual data
are separated from the programs that use the data. A database should always be designed, built and populated for a particular
audience and for a specific purpose.
4. Users : There are a number of users who can access or retrieve data on demand using the applications and interfaces provided by
the DBMS. Each type of user needs different software capabilities. The users of a database system can be classified in the following
groups, depending on their degrees of expertise or the mode of their interactions with the DBMS. The users can be:

 Naive Users
Online Users
Application Programmers
Sophisticated Users
Data Base Administrator (DBA)
Naive Users: Naive Users are those users who need not be aware of the presence of the database system or any other system
supporting their usage. Naive users are end users of the database who work through a menu driven application program, where the
type and range of response is always indicated to the user.
A user of an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) falls in this category. The user is instructed through each step of a transaction. He or
she then responds by pressing a coded key or entering a numeric value. The operations that can be performed by valve users are very
limited and affect only a precise portion of the database. For example, in the case of the user of the Automatic Teller Machine, user's
action affects only one or more of his/her own accounts.
Online Users : Online users are those who may communicate with the database directly via an online terminal or indirectly via a
user interface and application program. These users are aware of the presence of the database system and may have acquired a
certain amount of expertise with in the limited interaction permitted with a database.
Sophisticated Users : Such users interact with the system without ,writing programs.
Instead, they form their requests in database query language. Each such query is submitted to a very processor whose function is to
breakdown DML statement into instructions that the storage manager understands.
Specialized Users : Such users are those ,who write specialized database application that do not fit into the fractional dataprocessing framework. For example: Computer-aided design systems, knowledge base and expert system, systems that store data
with complex data types (for example, graphics data and audio data).
Application Programmers : Professional programmers are those who are responsible for developing application programs or
user interface. The application programs could be written using general purpose programming language or the commands available
to manipulate a database.
Database Administrator: The database administrator (DBA) is the person or group in charge for implementing the database
system ,within an organization. The "DBA has all the system privileges allowed by the DBMS and can assign (grant) and remove
(revoke) levels of access (privileges) to and from other users. DBA is also responsible for the evaluation, selection and
implementation of DBMS package.
5. Procedures: Procedures refer to the instructions and rules that govern the design and use of the database. The users of the
system and the staff that manage the database require documented procedures on how to use or run the system.
These may consist of instructions on how to:
Log on to the DBMS.
Use a particular DBMS facility or application program.
Start and stop the DBMS.
Make backup copies of the database.
Handle hardware or software failures.